September 2024

BACKROADS • SEPTEMBER 2024

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BACKROADS • SEPTEMBER 2024

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W H AT ’ S I N S I D E 22 MONTHLY COLUMNS

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

FREE WHEELIN’ ........................................ 3 WHATCHATHINKIN’ ................................... 4 ON THE MARK........................................... 5 BACKLASH ................................................ 6

Publishers

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors

Mark Byers, Dr. Seymour O’Life

Office

BACKROADS 160 County Road 521 Newton, NJ 07860

phone

973.948.4176

email

editor@backroadsusa.com

online

www.backroadsusa.com

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INDUSTRY INFOBITES ............................... 7

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BIG CITY GETAWAY ................................. 10 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN ......... 12 WE’RE OUTTA HERE ................................ 14 MYSTERIOUS AMERICA .......................... 16 INSIDE SCOOP ........................................ 18 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .................... 40

FEATURES CENTERFIELD-PART TWO ....................... 22 CARS & GUITARS II ................................. 31 44TH RAMAPO 500 .................................. 34 HOT WHEELS OF BRUCE PASCAL ........... 36

PRODUCT REVIEWS RIGG GEAR QUICK RELEASE PLATE ........ 20 SW-MOTECH HANDGUARDS ................... 21

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BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2024. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibility of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

BACKROADS • SEPTEMBER 2024

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FREE WHEELIN The BeTTer AmBAssAdor In simple words an ambassador is the chief representative of a country/national government in a foreign country. But with many words, they can get hijacked for day-to-day use.

To be an “ambassador” for something, in day-to-day life, you try to show the best parts of that particular activity – even if it is just general kindness and politeness to those who are not part of your little world. In this case, riding motorcycles.

I recently read an article by another scribe, in another mag (Yes, I read other mags), where he wanted to be the Bad Ambassador. This fellow is very talented, and I always enjoy his thoughts, so when I saw he didn’t wish to be an ambassador I had to see what that was about; and his words ran along the line of not trying to urge others to ride, especially if you know they aren’t cut out for it.

I think we should all be on board for this – some riders should not be riding, and some never should have started in the first place. If you spend any serious time with another human being, you probably will have a good idea if they could be a rider, or should never consider riding.

If they are timid behind the wheel – they will be stymied behind the bars.

But when I think about being an ambassador for motorcycling, I am thinking more of how everybody else sees us, and how what we do or what we do not do, affects the way they think of us all.

BRIAN RATHJEN Thus it helps to be an ambassador – and a better than good ambassador.

I recently attended the Ramapo 500. When we got to the mid-way point and the campgrounds that would be hosting the hundred or so motorcycle infidels that would pour into this “family” retreat for so many, I took a seat with a fellow from Buffalo, who had come in from the west to join his brother for the night.

Our talk bounced around a few topics, mostly motorcycles and riding if you can believe that – but he said something that made me pause.

He said he tries to be an ambassador for the sport of motorcycling.

But not to help bring others into the fold, but rather we spoke of how we behave while riding, and even walking around with our gear when off the bike, which truly paints every motorcycle rider in the eyes of the general public.

Amen, brother.

When I am on the Interstate and I see a rider or riders moving at Warp Speed, compared to the rest of the traffic I know I get peeved – especially when they ride in that serpentine in-and-out manner. If I am miffed I can only imagine the thoughts running through the other driver’s heads.

As a rider, I know that a pace a bit faster than traffic is good, and almost required – but riding like Kowalski in Vanishing Point is stupid, and will hurt other riders down the road.

Joe & Jane Public do not know the difference between riders, and motorcycles – good or bad. To them, we are whatever the worst-case scenario is, or was.

I have said many times that if 100 bikes go through Continued on Page 9

BACKROADS • SEPTEMBER 2024

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WHATCHATHINKIN’ je ne sAis quoi

That’s kinda what and how I am feeling at this moment in time. There is a niggling feeling at the back of my neck, a bit of queasiness in the pit of my stomach and the brain is just a touch clouded over. I’m am not completely sure what has brought this about, but I have some theories.

It has been a glorious summer. The calendar was filled with goings-on, events and excursions, each ticked off one by one with stories to show for them and images to remember them by. We caught up with lots of friends along the way, met some new ones and filled in some gaps of places we had yet to visit.

And now September is around the bend, one of two of my favorite months – May being the other.

While these months may not be the beginning and end of the great riding in our northeast area, they do mark what should be the best conditions. From the budding of the trees and flowers, the smells of the newly planted fields, and the warm sun riding over our shoulders to the fields of sunflowers, the beginnings of reds and yellows and the cooler afternoons in which to escape for a stolen ride.

So, with all these wonderful memories of the past months and the teasing of the autumn to come, why the off-putting feelings and emotions? I could say it has something to do with the ways of the world right now. Anyone who hasn’t stuck their head in the ground can see that all is not right. I can say

SHIRA KAMIL that I am the most non-political person I know, and I do not like or want to bring that topic into my column, but it just seems that this scenario rears its ugly head, oh, about every four years. Whether right or left, red, blue or purple, people seem to be ripped apart, with those elected to help run this great country doing their best to keep it separated, fighting for what’s best for themselves despite the consequences.

Where it once took a few dollars to fill the bike’s gas tank for a cathartic day’s ride, it’s now in double-digits. And that mind-clearing ride has now been invaded by the thoughts of what’s around the bend, and I don’t mean that beautiful left-hand sweeper which I always look forward to. I’ve gotten used to the ‘New York’ prices that have taken over the small country stores at which a light lunch could be found to be enjoyed at what used to be a free park, sitting under a shade tree on a delightful summer’s day.

Hey, I am not old enough to be called a curmudgeon and neither am I, or have I ever been, of that grumpy mindset. As a matter of fact, Brian has always referred to me as Mary Poppins – practically perfect in every way – and I believe that refers to my sunny disposition and half-glass-full outlook.

So, why have I allowed these negativities to invade my otherwise puffy-cloud thoughts? Je ne sais quoi.

I do know that some of the angst was brought on just recently. Brian was heading out to do a ride with Harley-Davidson on their new CVO Pan America, with a few days in Sturgis and however long he wanted to take to bring the bike back to New Jersey. He had planned a great route, taking some tips from Dr. O’Life, as well as our go-to site for the offContinued on Page 9

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ON THE MARK rAre Air I’m usually pretty good about checking the air in my tires before I go for a ride, but sometimes my sexagenarian mind (which sounds a lot naughtier than it means) lets that detail slip. A couple of my bikes have tire pressure monitors that are useful when on the street, but really annoying when I’m running lower-than-usual pressures on the track. Most of the time, I wish they weren’t there, even when I forget, because ignorance is sometimes bliss and the thresholds for the “idiot lights” are rarely in the danger zone. Safety, on the other hand, keeps its own counsel on what you can and cannot ignore.

That’s how I found myself looking for air on a trip. My RT checks the pressure in both tires and if it doesn’t come up to the preset standards built into the software, it’ll give me a yellow tire-shaped emoji with an exclamation point in the middle, indicating that I need to feed my doughnuts of life some nitrous oxide. Nitrous? You see, the air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, so all you kids with the fancy green valve caps running full nitrogen are merely replacing the 21% oxygen and 1% of trash gases. The valve caps are pretty, but I digress.

So Betsy and I are in the middle of Pennsylvania somewhere and I get the little light indicating I need a fill-up of something besides 89 octane. No worries: there are plenty of those “branded” gas stations/convenience stores, one that sells everything that ends in a “z” and one with a duck on the front. I pull up to the first one I see and pull over to a post that proclaims in big letters, “Free Air!” All you have to do is put the pressure you want in the LCD and then take the air chuck on the other end of the hose and… there isn’t one. Well, not a functional one. OK, no big deal, we’ll just head down the road to the next ubiquitous bigname convenience store and use theirs.

Well, all of the big companies must use the same air chuck from the “Beat All to Hell” company, because that one was almost equally as useless as the first. I gave it a try and actually lost air from the tire. When the pressure gets low enough, the yellow emoji turns red - ask me how I know. A couple more infuriatingly useless stops at the “free air” rigs and I was ready to do the unthinkable: pay for air. Apparently, the “free air” rigs are worth every penny!

Nothing pisses me off more than having to swipe a credit card to pay some business for a compressed version of what we breathe. Remember when we had service stations that not only pumped your gas, but that also checked your oil, washed your windshield, and checked/filled your air? Yeah, and gas was forty-eight cents a gallon too (there goes that sexagenarian thing again). I can hear Road Byrd right now, one-upping me with a lower gas price than I remember (he being a septuagenarian).

The next gas station we pass - not a “big name” has one of those “pay to play” air things, but before I swipe, I carefully check the hose and chuck to make sure that gaseous emanations will actually enter the tire rather than leave. It looks like the guys with the credit card swipers pay a little more attention to their equipment and don’t deal with the “Beat All to Hell” company for their chucks, so I swipe away. I don’t remember how much it cost: I think it was a time-based

MARK BYERS thing, so I was ready with the valve stems aligned and the caps off, no mean feat on the motorcycle at times. Fortunately, the air traveled into the tires instead of out and I made the mean red exclamation tire emoji exit the bike’s display.

Today, on the way for service, I ran into a similar adventure. I finally pulled over at an independent “Your Tire Guy” shop in King George, VA that offered everything from new to used tires. A very friendly guy there nodded knowingly at my plight, grabbed an air hose, chuck, and gauge, and insisted on doing the honors himself. He didn’t ask for it, but I gave him a fiver for the service and because, well, screw the “free air” people and their unreliable chucks that siphon your air. Considering how jacked up the “freebies” are, next time I need some, I’ll be stopping at your mom and pop tire shop where the air isn’t so rare. ,

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BACKLASH Dear Brian and Shira: Supreme Court overturning Chevron deference is a mistake and a scary power grab by the Courts.

I believe that most of the regulations implemented by the executive branch are not misguided. The regulations are there to protect the general public, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat amongst many other protections that should but are not provided by companies. Why have speed limits and red lights ?

Just think ! Who should teach you how to ride a motorcycle ? Someone who has riding experience and has proper safety qualifications OR some Judge who has no idea where the key or the gas goes ?

The individuals in executive agencies, both Federal and State, have acquired expertise over many years of working in the field. Physicians, Dentists, Engineers, Scientists in a variety of fields and yes, even Lawyers.

As a lawyer and retired Administrative Law Judge, I realize that there are many areas that I was not qualified to decide. That is why we looked to the experts. Without their reasoning, decisions will be made by Judges that may have much more negative consequences for our motorcycle community.

Just because there were several regulations that some in the motorcycle community did not agree with, does not mean we should throw out the

Letters to the Editor whole system (i.e.: baby in bath water).

The AMA was able to work with Congress to change the decisions that the AMA did not agree with.

The AMA will have a lot more work to do to get Congress and the President to pass and sign a law to overturn a Court’s decision. We have yet to see the overreach of Judges’ decisions that affect our motorcycle community.

We have seen the overreach of the Courts in other areas of our lives.

Marc Zylberberg Thanks Marc, I will go with you and your thoughts on this… just reportin’ what we get. I don’t always agree with the AMA on many fronts – but try to cut them slack sometimes.

Inside Scoop Notes Hello Shira/Brian I stumbled on this very excellent purveyor of your favorite frozen treat. They are in Belvidere, NJ. If you’ve not been, give them a taste test.

Thanks, Jay Schwartzapfel Jay, Thanks so much. Yes, we know Mackey’s very well, and have featured it in Inside Scoop some time ago.

Not only do they made some awesome ice cream, they live on one of the best roads in New Jersey – Route 519.

Hi there. Wondering if there is list of Ice Cream shops featured in Inside Scoop without having to reread each magazine? We live up here in Newton/Branchville and ride w/folks from northern Baltimore County, MD. Ice Cream & BBQ stops seem to be our mutual meet up locations.

Thanks in advance.

Scott Tucker Scott, Well, as much as we’d love to say ‘Sure, right here’ we have never done a data base of our ice cream stops.

Perhaps this winter we can go back the 10+ years and try and pull that together. Thanks for asking…

Brian and Shira: I enjoyed today’s Backroads Report with its segments about Mad Maps, The Loneliest Roads, and the film ‘The Bikeriders’. Information about ride routes and experiences is always a benefit to read and then to experience. See you at the Summer Squeeze!

Andrew Just got the copy you sent, tore it open and am amazed!

What an awesome magazine - and an even awesomer article! I truly appreciate that and above all - your friendship.

Michael Familant Producer / Lead Investigator In the Shadow of Big Red Eye

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INDUSTRY INFOBITES KAWI GOES HYDROGEN On July 20, 2024, Kawasaki Motors Ltd., a member of the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Group, conducted the world’s first public demonstration run of a hydrogen ICE (internal combustion engine) motorcycle (by a mass-production motorcycle manufacturer) at Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan.

The hydrogen ICE motorcycle was designed and built as part of Kawasaki’s research that began in March 2023, with test runs starting this year, culminating in this public demonstration run during the Suzuka 8 Hours FIM World Endurance race. Powering the machine is a hydrogen engine based on the 998 cc In-Line Four Supercharged Engine found in Kawasaki’s Ninja H2® motorcycle, with modifications made to allow direct injection of hydrogen fuel into the cylinders. The motorcycle’s chassis was designed to accommodate hydrogen fuel canisters and a hydrogen fuel supply system on-board.

Hydrogen ICE motorcycles operate on hydrogen combustion, delivering the rumble and pulsating sensation that riders love when twisting the throttle, while emitting mainly water and a very small amount of CO2.

As part of their carbon-neutral initiative, Kawasaki Motors is currently conducting research and development with the aim of achieving a functioning hydrogen ICE motorcycle as one carbon-neutral option for riders

beginning in the early 2030s. Timing and availability may vary depending on the hydrogen fuel supply infrastructure and the status of legal regulations in each country.

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG APPOINTS SCOTT SCHLOEGEL TO THE MOTORCYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL Scott Schloegel, Acting President and CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Council and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, was appointed to the Motorcycle Advisory Council by Secretary Pete Buttigieg of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“Your work representing the views of a national motorcycle manufacturing association will greatly benefit MAC and the Department’s efforts to prevent injuries and fatalities involving motorcyclists on the nation’s highways,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said. “Your experience and leadership will add valuable insights and perspectives that will help further MAC’s mission.”

The MAC will advise the Secretary of Transportation and administrators of National Highway Traffic Safety and the Federal Highway Administration on a broad range of issues effecting motorcycle and motorcyclist safety – from road and barrier design, construction, maintenance practices, and the architecture of intelligent transportation system technologies.

News from the Inside CB650R & CBR650R BRING HONDA E-CLUTCH TECHNOLOGY TO THE U.S. POWERSPORTS MARKET American Honda confirmed that Honda E-Clutch technology will be offered to U.S. customers on the 2024 CB650R and CBR650R. Previously unveiled in Europe, the cutting-edge feature delivers several benefits, making the riding experience easier, sportier and less fatiguing. Now available to U.S. customers on Honda’s middleweight standard and sport bikes, Honda E-Clutch is appealing to riders of widely varying skill and experience levels, enabling all to focus on the fun

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of riding more comfortably. In addition to E-Clutch, the new CB650R and CBR650R receive other important updates, including styling, LED lighting and a new TFT screen.

DAVIDSON PARK AND HARLEY-DAVISON HOMECOMING Harley-Davidson has always been just as much about the community as it is about the bikes. For decades, the company has been holding events celebrating the joy of motorcycling. And now, the Motor Company has taken this a step further with the inauguration of Davidson Park.

Situated at Harley’s home for more than a century, the Juneau Avenue campus in Milwaukee, Davidson Park was once a four-acre parking lot, and is now a vibrant green space for the Near West Side community.

Davidson Park was developed in partnership with local schools, artists, and the Forest County Potawatomi community, and features numerous attractions for enthusiasts and visitors of all ages. For starters, Union Plaza, which is the park’s main entrance, welcomes visitors into the area and leads into Main Street. Here, community events like fairs and farmers’ markets can be held for everyone to enjoy.

The 2024 Harley-Davidson Homecoming™ Festival rocked Milwaukee with four days of music and moto-culture July 25-28 at multiple venues across the community, including Veterans Park, the Harley-Davidson Museum, newly dedicated Davidson Park, and at local Harley-Davidson dealerships. A highlight at each venue was

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a special tribute to artist, designer, and legend Willie G. Davidson and a celebration of his near 50-year career with The Motor Company. Thousands of fans also gathered to experience unforgettable moto events, activities, and music, including a surprise guest appearance and world exclusive performance on stage at Veterans Park. Preliminary attendance reports top 60,000 at Veterans Park over two days.

H-D CEO Jochen Zeitz, Willie G. Davidson and Davidson family members officially kicked off Homecoming Festival at the Opening Ceremony Thursday afternoon at the recently dedicated Davidson Park, the new outdoor community hub created by the Harley-Davidson Foundation. This new venue hosted a guided Juneau Avenue Historical Tour through and around the current company headquarters buildings that once served as the original manufacturing factory, enjoyed by 1,550 guests.

Other activities included Friday’s STE(A)Magination Day, and Saturday’s Interactive Art + Culture Fair, local food, music and a vintage motorcycle showcase at Davidson Park.

Harley-Davidson intends the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival to be a commitment to the community and a way to promote all that the region has to offer. Next year’s annual Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival is scheduled for July 10-13, 2025, in Milwaukee.

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Free Wheelin’

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Continued from Page 3

Main Street, USA – and 99 are quiet, but that last one is obnoxiously loud – then they will say 100 loud and annoying bikes tore up their peaceful town.

It’s simply human nature. That is why I think it is a good idea to always put a good foot forward. Regardless.

Little things count, and these are probably things you would do, with or without riding gear on.

Holding that door for that elderly gal (she probably rode BITD), letting that car make that turn into the parking lot, or putting the shopping carts back in their racks in that same lot. On that point – if you are one of those people who NEVER put the carts back – I will wager the rest of your life is a mess too.

When you do anything on or around bikes try to do it well – and with thought and skill. This works for everything during your time here on Earth.

A longtime-friend once told me the secret of life, and that the 10 Commandments all distill down to this one thought…

Don’t be an asshole. , WhATchAThinkin’

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the-beaten-trail sights, Roadside America. He suggested that we meet as he got a little closer to home, somewhere in western West Virginia. “Wow, that sounds like a grand idea!” says I. Now I know last month’s column dealt with my riding while the dog’s away, and I also know that I mentioned it had been a while since I did an overnight or longer trip by myself. So, those little niglets in the stomach began to surface, although I am quite sure that I have no issues being on the road by myself. I suppose that I have fallen into a slight reliance knowing that Brian has my six when we are out and about.

It’s like what the King said to Alice, ‘Begin at the beginning, and go on until you come to the end, then stop.’ The hardest part is putting that front tire out of the driveway. So I’ll plan my route, pack up the bike and head out on my adventure. What will I see, how will I feel, je ne sais quoi. ,

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Warren County Tourism presents

BIG CITY GETAWAY Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum 180 Thompson St, North Tonawanda, NY 716-693-1885 • carrouselmuseum.org Mon-Sat: 10am-4pm • Sunday: 12-4pm Riding along on a carousel, trying to catch up to you Riding along on a carousel, will I catch up to you?

Horses chasin’, ‘cause they’re racin’, so near yet so far On a carousel The Hollies I grew up in the town that was home to Palisades Amusement Park. While I was only 11 when the park closed, I still remember the wonderful rides – the roller coaster, Fun House and especially the carousel. The ornate horses and chariots, the calliope music and the brass rings. It was the epitome of summer fun and childhood. No matter the age, who doesn’t love choosing their favorite horse and reaching for the ring to win a free ride.

The term ‘carousel’ has been traced to the 12th century when knights, wanting to hone their skills and train for war, rode their horses in a circle while tossing a ball back and forth. This was referred to as a little battle or ‘carousel’. Variations of the carousel continued into the 17th century and evolved into skill-building events such as spearing overhead rings with jousting lances. Children were enamored with these games and by the 18th century imitation carousels were created for traveling fairs, with wooden animals suspended by chains to a circular spinning mechanism either hand-cranked or

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind pulled by horses. Music was added later.

Whenever we see a carousel we do our best to stop and admire and, if possible, take a ride. We did better than that recently when we took a tour of the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in N. Tonawanda, NY. Allan Herschell was a partner in the Armitage Herschell Company, a foundry which manufactured such products as corn huskers, street drains and boilers beginning in 1872. After seeing his first carousel in New York City, he convinced his partner, James Armitage, to begin the manufacture of hand-carved wooden carousels in 1883. Having a large German immigrant populations, who were skilled wood carvers, made the production even easier to manage. These early carousels were propelled by means of the steam boilers, already being made in their factory. By the turn of the 19th century, the Armitage Herschell Company was manufacturing a carousel a day, being sent to all parts of the world. In 1903 the company filed bankruptcy and Allan Herschell and his brother-in-law, Ed Spillman, took over operations.

The Herschell-Spillman Company continued until 1926, becoming the world’s largest manufacturer of carousels and other amusement rides. Over

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the years, more than three thousand carousels were produced. Allan took over sole operations in 1915, becoming the Allan Herschell Company and, in 1960, was bought out by Chance Manufacturing of Wichita, Kansas. The Carousel Society of the Niagara Frontier, which started the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in 1983, was successful in purchasing the assets in 1998, moved them back to North Tonawanda and the Museum. Of the 148 antique, hand-carved wooden carousels still in existence in the United States and Canada today, 71 were manufactured in North Tonawanda in one of the four Herschell companies.

You can ride an original 1916 carousel at the museum when you visit.

Ian Seppala, Director of the Museum, took us on a very informative and fun tour. Our first stop was the Wurlitzer Music Roll Department, producing paper music rolls for Band Organs, putting out that inimitable and universally recognized sound of an American carousel. All of these machines are over 90 years old and still-operational. Ian cranked up the ‘One-Man Band’ organ, complete with drum and cymbals, with a wonderful version of ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.’ On the carving floor, he then gave us a wood carving demonstration – this is where the animals began to take shape, with carvers working from large line

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drawings, tracing them onto basswood or poplar, and gluing the pieces together before being smoothed and moved to the paint shop.

The adjoining factory building is dedicated to exhibitions of the handcarved animals. Unfortunately, the hand-carved carousel creatures being made today are replaced by cast aluminum. The Machine Shop now houses the Children’s Gallery and Kiddie Carousel. The Roundhouse portion of the factory holds the 1916 Allan Herschell Carousel, liberated from London, Ontario in 1982.

It was time to choose our ride, as with admission you get two tickets to ride the carousel. There are stationary horses, jumpers and chariots or lover’s seats, for those who don’t want to take a saddle a pony. Unfortunately, there is no brass ring to grab but the smiles and sound of calliope music will carry you through your ride.

Enjoy the museum and always reach for that brass ring in life. ,

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Wanamakers General Store presents

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN The Vreeland Store 1383 Macopin Road, West Milford, NJ 07480 973-874-0860 • www.thevreelandstore.com If you looked at a map of northern New Jersey these days you would see that the sprawl that emanates from New York City putters out as you head deep into Passaic County. Indeed, the region of the county to the north and west is day & night different from the bustling urban city that bears the county’s name.

Here county roads wind in and out of the smaller towns and a few concentrated communities, and then you will be riding for miles with nothing but woods, deer, and the occasional bear. In some places, the terrain has not changed much in the last 185 years since the Vreeland family bought 50 acres of land from the local Lenape tribe and the construction of a large home that was built in a new and modern style we now call Victorian.

tasty places to take your bike

Eventually, as a small hamlet sprung up in the surrounding area, this home became the Post Office and General Store where locals bartered for household items, purchased grain, bought their clothing, and even voted.

Relda Vreeland was born in 1879 and lived in the house until her death in 1982 – an impressive 103 well-lived laps around the sun.

As she grew into womanhood Relda took over the family business, and it continued as a general store and candy shop. She was a business owner, a volunteer firefighter, and one of the first women in the state to obtain a driver’s license.

Relda was a pip, and we wished we had the good fortune to meet her.

“There are lots of people who will come and tell us about her,” says current General Manager Charissa Lanza.

In 2003 the Lanza family purchased the property and then spent nearly two years carefully renovating the generations-old building.

They carefully preserved the building’s floors, replaced windows and sashes, and kept the Vreeland Store as historically accurate as possible; while adding what would be needed to make it a viable business in today’s code-savvy world. A commercial kitchen and larger bathrooms were installed, as was a handsome bar and other modern touches.

Other historical touches were added to the décor including the postal ledger papers, suit illustrations, old hymn book pages, and newspaper clippings that line the walls of the cafe—comprised of found items

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from the structure’s storied past.

Today the Vreeland Store is a great place to stop for breakfast, lunch, or dinner while riding in western Passaic County, New Jersey.

A quick look at the menu shows that the Vreeland has much to offer.

Quiche will be found and they have zucchini cheddar & onion, ricotta, mozzarella & spinach, ham & Swiss, and a tasty spinach, tomato & mozzarella.

Who doesn’t love a great Grilled Cheese – theirs is a winner with spinach & artichoke. If you are a salad person, and even we are at times, the Vreeland’s Special will put grilled Brussel sprouts, fried goat cheese, marinated artichokes, carrots, red onion, cucumbers, & pecans over mixed greens with house balsamic at your table.

When we were there, we had their Gyro Salad which was really yummy too, with marinated grilled chicken, flatbread, tzatziki, tomato, red onion, feta, cucumber, and kalamata olives over romaine in a red wine vinaigrette with a side of extra tzatziki sauce. We also ordered their Shrimp Tacos – which were crunchy and delicious. Our partners in crime went in another direction. Robyn, because she is, ordered the day’s special of Turkey, Brie & Apricot Jam, and Mike ordered the Cheesesteak that was made with extra tender steak cooked to order with peppers, onions, & provolone on a slice of baguette with house sauce and came with really stealable Onion Rings.

We have to mention the big burger called the Sweetman’s Farm which is made up of a half-pound of Sweetman’s Farm’s ground beef cooked to order, served with fries & a pickle; and you can add lettuce, tomato, and onion if you like.

After lunch or dinner mosey next door to the bakery that positively reeks of

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coffee (that is SUCH a good thing) and get some seriously great baked goods - and take a seat out on the porch and watch the world go by.

The Vreeland Store has much more to offer, and has both indoor and outdoor seating… always a plus on a beautiful day.

If needed they also have some room above, add in the full bar (with house guitar) and you might have yourself a superb base camp to explore this part of the Garden State.

Ride Safe. Ride Smart. Ride the Backroads. ,

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Wytheville VA Tourism presents

WE’RE OUTTA HERE

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

lAke onTArio moTel & inn 3326 lockporT olcoTT roAd, neWFAne, nY 14108 716-778-5004 • lAkeonTAriomoTel.com When you are on the road not every overnight stay will be some boutique urban place, with its own steak house, and wine list pricier than your mortgage. Nor does your stop for the night always have to be a chain motel at the intersection of some big highways.

Not that there is anything wrong with those options, but sometimes, if you’re lucky, you come across a place that is simple, clean, comfortable, and run by folks who still call their motel & inn a family business.

That was our case when we were spinning through the Great Lakes region of New York State a few months back.

We had a fairly good idea of where we would be, come evening, and following our route we came across the Lake Ontario Motel & Inn in the small town of Newfane, just south of Lake Ontario, and north of Lockport and the Erie Canal on Route 78.

We gave a call ahead of time, as we were rolling into summer, and this region of the Empire State is the darling of many sport fishermen, and a booked room is always better than a NO VACANCY sign every time.

We spoke to Paige, who owns and runs the place with her husband Brad, who happily booked our room.

Newfane encompasses a few hamlets, and a few notables called this very western edge of New York State home – Steve Geltz, pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, but maybe even cooler is a musician named Ron Altbach.

Who? Let me bet you an ice cream cone you are so familiar with Altbach. He was a co-founded of the French-American rock band King Harvest and played that catchy Wurlitzer electric piano intro on their single “Dancing in the Moonlight.”

Waffle - Cookies & Cream, thank you.

Arriving by late evening we were a bit surprised at the building and layout of the Lake Ontario Motel & Inn as it did not look like any “run of the mill” motel we have ever stayed at… and it isn’t.

There is a bit of family history here, and when we asked, Paige told us how the motel came into being.

Her father Phil and mom Jan had lived in Niagara County their entire lives. They had been incredibly involved in tourism and the birth and growth of world-

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class salmon and trout fishing in Lake Ontario.

Phil was a Great Lakes Coast Guard Captain and was one of the first to operate a charter fishing business out of the port of Olcott, NY. It seems one day he came up with the idea of buying some property and a big old barn, about ten miles south of the lake on Lockport Olcott Road (Route 78), with the idea of converting it into a motel & inn, giving the sportsmen and women a good, comfortable and reasonably priced place to stay while up in the region.

And the whole family was recruited into this remodeling, and Paige told us how she remembers sheet rocking, sanding, and painting the barn’s new walls as it morphed from storage to a very comfy motel.

In 2018 she and Brad bought the place from her parents and the family tradition of offering a superb place to stay while fishing, or riding, in this region has been carried on.

Today the motel has 11 comfortable rooms, a pool table, a great covered

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deck area with a grill should you be lucky enough to catch dinner, and some wonderful landscaping that offers a great, peaceful retreat if you want to sit, relax and chill with the ambiance. A light breakfast is available in the morning, along with freshly brewed coffee, to get you going for your day’s ride.

Paige suggested we try a restaurant in the town of Olcott, up the road from the lake called Maxwell’s Station, and she was spot on with this suggestion. Maxwell’s Station is found in the back of the town’s Old Fire Hall, and would sure have been missed by us.

Part museum, part fire hall, part basketball court – but all bar & restaurant and they served up some outstanding wings. Nice!

Ice cream was found (it always is) on the pier near the lighthouse, and sunset made the long day complete.

We think the thought here is, if you get the chance to stay at a place that is family-owned, operated, and loved when on the road, jump on it.

There are just not many places that have this old and neat vibe like the Lake Ontario Motel & Inn anymore… and that is a shame. ,

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Morton’s BMW Motorcycles presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA ruTgers geologicAl museum

85 somerseT sT, geologY hAll, 2nd Floor, neW BrunsWick, nj 08901 848-932-7243 • geologYmuseum.ruTgers.edu

When I was a child, I grew up with a family that spent a lot of time traveling around the globe… Tibet, the Amazon Rain Forest, the Andes, southern Africa, and eventually to New York City, where my mother settled in as a professor at Columbia, and my father…, well he traipsed off on an expedition to the Kongka La Pass and we never saw him again. Maybe one day we’ll get into this story in Mysterious America, but this month I wanted to talk some more about another amazing place that can be found right in the Backroads area. Since we visited the Haddonfield, the Jersey town with its own dinosaur, I thought I’d visit some old colleagues of mine at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and spend some time exploring some of the university’s museums. Because they needed a day out – I dragged publisher Rathjen and Kamil along for the ride.

We first took a stroll around the Zimmerli Art Museum which was a great bonus, as I prefer my art on cave walls, or the back of alien holding cells; but I can appreciate fine art in a museum too.

The museum is free, and on this day they had an engrossing display of Non-Conformist Russian Art. That may not sound exactly exciting or mysterious – but for the thousands of artists who risked imprisonment or death for simply being creative in the old Soviet Union – and the fact that so much of this interesting art can be seen in New Jersey is at least a wonderment. The museum also had a large display on George Segal – themes and Variations that touched on the famed sculpture’s works and showed his history, style, and methods.

This seemed to tickle publisher Shira, as she is the art major – the other one could not wait to get to the reason we came – Rutgers’ Geology Museum.

The museum was started by state geologist and Rutgers professor George Hammell Cook in 1872, and it is the oldest Geology Museum in the nation exhibiting the natural history of New Jersey, focusing on geology, paleon-

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tology, and anthropology.

What I have always loved about this place, since I was an intern back in the day, is its location. You will find this museum in one of the oldest buildings on the campus – on the second floor – and you can almost hear a John William’s theme as you walk up the steps and creak open the old oaken door and step in; facing a wall-size relief map of the Garden State. The museum is up one flight and when you open the second set of doors – the history of the world opens up as well.

The collections in Mineralogy, Lithology, Paleontology, Archaeology, and Conchology, number about 20,000 specimens, and everything matters here. The commonest specimens have their place here, and the museum adds dignity to a trifle; a pebble teaches the same lesson as the hun-

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dred-ton boulder; the skeleton of a mouse occupies as much space in science as does the mastodon’s huge frame. What seems a worthless object to the minds of many, becomes endowed with interest when properly mounted and labeled: and the object is seen to have a definite relation to other equally common specimens with which it is associated.

Rutgers Museum is not a collection of freaks and curios, but a collection of scientific specimens, each one illustrating some important part of the sciences taught.

Oh, I did say Mastodon. This is very hard to miss, and I had to raise a finger at and shush Rathjen up when he got, well a bit overly excited when he spotted it.

Mastodon, Brian! Not that elephant from Disney.

Oh, dear God… Still, the Mannington Mastodon, Continued on Page 19

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Alpine creAmerY 14 WhiTe deer plAzA, spArTA, nj 973-726-0777 • AlpinecreAmerYnj.com • seAsonAl April-ocToBer/check hours (cAsh onlY) There are quite a lot of lakes in Sussex County, NJ. When I last Googled, it said 59, with the smallest being White Lake at 30 acres (just enough for a very pleasant afternoon’s kayaking) and the largest Lake Hopatcong at 2,494 acres. Falling just below half way through the 59 is Lake Mohawk, a very pretty lake to be found in Sparta. The Country Club, which incorporates Lake Mohawk, and the little village itself have been placed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places due to the unique architecture, a style which has been called ‘Lake Mohawk Tudor’ – a fanciful mixture of Tudor, English Cottage and German Baronial styles.

Long before the boardwalk traversed the lake, there was Brogden Meadow, a 2,300 acre valley running three miles long and rimmed by wild and wooded ridges. If you’ve been reading these pages for enough time, you’ll know that we did a piece on the Wallkill River, one of the few rivers that flow north, and which has its start at Lake Mohawk.

In January 1926, work began that would result in this largest of private artificial lakes in New Jersey. The river was dammed at the northern end of the valley and the lake bottom cleared. A little over a year later, the private resort community was opened. White Deer Plaza, the hub of Lake Mohawk, was so named for Princess White Deer, a young full-blooded Mohawk woman who was in attendance the day of the opening. The plaza expanded through 1935, with more homes added at a cost of $3,500 each.

Many of the original style building still populate Lake Mohawk, and it really is a great place to stop the bike for a spell and stretch the legs. There are shops and restaurants to occupy one’s time plus the reason we have stopped here today – the Alpine Creamery.

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mYsTerious AmericA

Housed in a former service station which sits on the corner of West Shore Trail and the Plaza, with a thick chain between two tower columns announcing your arrival, the Alpine Creamery has been scooping up homemade ice cream for twenty years. George Kolaitis, owner and chief ice cream maker, uses generational recipes handed down from his mother to make the small batch flavors served daily. With over 40 from which to choose, I’m certainly that no matter your preference, you will walk away with a smile and some delicious ice cream in your cup or cone.

I visited on a weekday when the traffic was light and was able to park my bike right in front for the perfect photo op, but there is plenty of street parking as well. There are several umbrellaed tables from which to people watch while enjoying your ice cream. Or better yet, take a stroll along the boardwalk and take in a little piece of New Jersey history.

It was early in the day so I opted-out of my usual double/two flavor cup for a very large single scoop of Peppermint Stick. It was perfectly pink

with lots of peppermint pieces and a smooth, creamy consistency. I am quite glad that Sparta is just a short twist of the throttle away from Backroads Central, as George’s other flavor offerings will have me coming back – Banana Oreo, Cheesecake Graham Cracker, Coffee Caramel Choco Chip, Pistachio and Raspberry Truffle to name just a few. In addition, you can have Italian ices and sherbet in several refreshing flavors.

The Alpine Creamery will happily take any of their flavors and build a sundae, banana split or a milkshake using any of their flavors. They have something called an Alpine Twister or Slushie – not quite sure what that is but I can imagine they are delicious as well.

Expanding and spreading their joy of ice cream, George’s sons Angelo and Ermako bring their Ice Cream Truck to many events from April through October. You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram (alpinecreamery) to see when they will be near you, bringing their 20 handcrafted flavors for you to savor.

Lake Mohawk sits in a very pretty part of New Jersey, with some entertaining roads to get you there and around. Summer may bring a bit of congestion during the weekends, so play hooky one day and spin your wheels to this historic spot scooping up some of the best ice cream in New Jersey. ,

which was mounted way back in June of 1896, is quite amazing; and a larger or better specimen is not known anywhere. Trust me. I have looked.

If you can break your eyes away from the Mammut Americanum, you will see a set of dinosaur prints taken from a site in Towaco, found in a quarry by some very alert and savvy workers. Along the shelves, several huge dinosaur and prehistoric predator skulls can be found, as well as an amazing display of eight ancient quasi-human skulls showing the development of hominids on our planet.

Shira said it reminded her of a raku-fired piece of art. (She has such an artsy eye…sigh) Looking at her husband, I wondered where his noggin’ might end up in this lineup.

Of course, New Jersey’s own Hadrosaurus is featured, and despite all we know about this dinosaur there are still plenty of mysterious dinosaurs buried underground, just waiting to be uncovered, maybe even in your own backyard.

The amazing museum is free to all students of science, or visitors, on weekdays, and if you ride to the museum, you will find plenty of parking right in and around the old sandstone building itself.

There always is parking when you ride through Mysterious America.

O’Life Out! ,

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

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RIGG GEAR ADVENTURE, QUICK RELEASE LUGGAGE PLATE RG-QRP

Nelson Rigg USA, Inc. continues to expand their Rigg Gear Adventure line of offroad accessories, with the introduction of rugged Quick Release Luggage Plates (RGQRP) that fit most OEM and aftermarket 18mm round bar pannier racks.

Sold as a pair, a quick “set and click” latches them into place and simple “pull and lift” removes them from the motorcycle rack. These quick release plates have a universal designed allowing installation of a wide range of soft saddlebags, including the popular Rigg Gear 100% waterproof Hurricane Saddlebags (SE-4050) and Sierra Saddlebags (SE-3050). These luggage plates dramatically reduce the installation and removal time of most soft-saddlebags onto pannier racks from minutes to mere seconds.

The plates and mounting hardware are constructed from powder coated and anodized aircraft grade aluminum for maximum durability. The top latch and mounting feet are fully adjustable to securely fit a wide range of racks. When mounting to round bar larger than 18mm and up to 20mm such as Tusk racks, there is an optional replacement latch. (#RG-QRP-20MM) For motorcycles with an off-set rack for the exhaust like on the BMW-GS and Yamaha Tenere’ simply use the optional extension block (RG-QRP-EXT) for a perfect installation. The release latch has been designed with a strategically placed locking hole which allows the addition of a luggage or gun safe lock. These plates are even pre-drilled to accommodate a RotopaX. Retailing for $329.95, you can find them online at nelsonrigg.com

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

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SW-MOTECH USA INTRODUCES ALL-NEW HANDGUARD SYSTEMS

First teased at EICMA late last year, the allnew handguard systems from SW-MOTECH have arrived stateside. Designed from the ground up—completely in house—the new handguards are already available for over 100 different models with more being developed as bikes rotate through the German R&D department for fitment. This hyper specific fit is one of the advantages of the new SW-MOTECH handguards. Not settling for a clunky universal fit, the engineers have designed an elegant kit for each motorcycle that makes installation a painless process.

Incorporating bar-end weights into the aluminum backbone design and an easy-to-install hinged clamp for the interior mount on two-point systems, setting up these new systems requires no special tools and takes minutes.

This also results in a more inconspicuous and attractive design.

The new systems are available in two different models. The SW-MOTECH Sport Handguards feature a sleek and simple shell design, while the SW-MOTECH Adventure Handguards have a more aggressive and angular shell design while offering slightly more coverage.

Both models share the same strong, black powder-coated aluminum frame. Each is made from a polycarbonate shell material with a matte finish.

The shells have a slight flex to improve durability.

Sport or Adventure?

Both shell variations have extensions available (sold separately) for those wanting to increase coverage for cold or wet weather.

The Adventure Handguard shell can also accept a replaceable crash pad (sold separately) which screws onto the shell and into the aluminum backbone.

The pad wraps around the edge of the handguard where impacts are most likely.

This adds an additional level of impact protection and saves the trouble and expense of replacing the entire assembly for minor scratches.

These new additions to the SW-MOTECH hand protection lineup join existing offerings such as the race-inspired sportbike Lever Guards and the ADV-style Kobra system. SW-MOTECH now has a total of four systems to choose from for any motorcycle in your garage.

Pricing starts at $145. See sw-motech.us for availability and ordering.

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Centerfield - Part Two After the 7th Inning Stretch How we love Border Crossings – Not! We would be staying in Windsor, and would be making the crossing to and from the United States and Canada a few times over the next few days; and it would be simpler to park one bike and have Shira ride pillion, so that’s what we did. We spent the entire first day at The Henry Ford. We had heard about this giant collection of Americana, and that it was one of the finest museums in the nation; and it truly is. We usually think we’ll spend a few hours at a museum, and end up staying far longer – with The Henry Ford, we planned two full days if needed.

We cannot say enough about this museum – the proto-type Mustang, the Lemans winning Ford GT, full locomotives, a marvelous tribute to Ken Block and that was just a small taste.

The history of America takes precedence here at the Henry Ford. The Lincoln in which JFK was assassinated, the chair Abraham Lincoln was sitting in on that fateful night at the Ford’s Theatre, the bus Rosa Parks sat in as well. An original edition of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and an 1820

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engraving made from the original Declaration of Independence.

I could go on, and on… but The Henry Ford needs an article all its own and everyone should make a visit themselves.

That evening, the same week the great Willie Mays left us, MLB played at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. We had written about this field, the oldest in the United States, a few years back and had said that Major League Baseball should recognize this historic stadium from the Negro League and do something special to preserve the great history here.

We’re glad they read Backroads!

Shockingly good Canadian pizza in a motel room while watching this significant game in a great historic park went right along with the flavor of this tour.

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The next day we had a Tigers game - with a free day in the Motor City - and made the crossing back into the USA and a bee-line to 2648 West Grand Boulevard – the Birthplace of Motown!

“Hitsville U.S.A.” is the nickname given to Motown’s first headquarters and recording studio. Motown founder Berry Gordy bought the two-family flat in 1959, near what is now the New Center area of the city, and started what would become Motown, one of the most prolific, successful record companies ever created.

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It was here in this small, and modest, home where some of the most epoch-making music, music that became a part of everyone, was created.

The list of Motown artists reads like a who’s who in music—Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson & the Jackson 5, the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Lionel Richie, The Commodores…

I could go on.

It was a high point on a mountain range journey with so many high points.

We took lunch and then went in search of a true Detroit entity – The Heidelberg Project. This is certainly one for O’LIfe, as The Heidelberg Project is an outdoor art project in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood on Detroit’s east side, just north of the city’s documented African-American Black Bottom area.

It was created in 1986 by the artist Tyree Guyton, who was assisted by his wife, Karen, and grandfather Sam Mackey.

We rode up and were amazed by both the project and the artist himself, who would talk with us after we walked around a bit, and

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then answered some questions… which cut to who we really are.

Tyree had one last request and handed Shira a bucket of paint and a broad brush and asked her to paint a polka dot on the street, which my artsy wife did in a timely and very impressive manner, right in front of the BMW’s front tire.

Mr. Guyton seemed satisfied and talked with us a bit further.

Detroit is full of many great things, but make time, and trust me time

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is important with this, to visit The Heidelberg Project – and please tell Tyree we wish him and his the best, and that we’ll try to stay grounded.

Detroit Tigers versus Chicago White Sox

We rode towards the river and the game at Comerica Park.

All ballparks, from a little league sandlot to a mighty Major League stadium, have some magic. This park has that and more - they have tigers. Big, tall, majestic tigers!

We rode around and maybe skipped a sidewalk or two, but got a great image with one of the big cats at the front of the park before making our way

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onto the streets and stashing the BMW in a private lot for a Jackson.

This park was the best we had been in so far this trip, but we are cat people.

The game was uneventful under the sweltering heat of the day, which led to some lightning dancing around the lake and the park keepers asked everyone to seek shelter… with just two outs to go.

The Tigers and White Sox kept going, but fate stepped in a pitch or two later with a deeply hit, but playable ball, and a runner that, well I am not sure what White Sox Paul Dejong was thinking, but game over.

We had thought staying on the Canadian side was an easy idea and would be a bit nicer all around. Metro areas are all the same, but crossing back into

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Canada that night was the stuff of a two-wheel nightmare as we were held waiting in line to cross into Canada for more than an hour. Brutal and only made a touch nicer by a magnificent Full Strawberry Moon rising over the Detroit River on the Summer Solstice.

On to Chicago

We had a longer day, and a hotter one if possible.

We crossed back to the USA for the last time, easily this Saturday morn, and once out of the Detroit area hopped on some far more interesting pavement we learned of from MotorcycleRoads.com.

First through the town of Ypsilanti and to its infamous water tower known for its rather, um, imposing and very, err, manly shape. The sign says it was “erected” here in 1890, we kid you not. It’s an odd world out there, boys and girls…an odd world.

Our backroads jaunt was a joy for about 100 miles or so, and we even rode to Hell – a small burg in the middle of the state. So now that we know where

it is, we know where to go when somebody tells us to.

A bit further on, in Jackson, Michigan, we found the stone marker for the first official meeting of the group that would call itself ‘Republican’ on July 6, 1854, quietly sitting under the oaks.

Back on the big road we blasted west to the Windy City, circled along Lake Shore Drive, simply amazed at the thousands of Chicagoans on the beach of the Great Lake, and to the Lincoln Park section of the city and our friends Mike and Janet’s beautiful brownstone home.

More friends on a great adventure, summer just beginning and tomorrow another baseball game, but not any game – nope, the game we had come to see - the Chicago Cubs would be hosting some friends of ours from Queens.

Let’s Go Mets!

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North to Milwaukee

Free Day In the Windy City With the bikes safely garaged for a couple of nights we spent the day catching up, and superb outdoor brunch a pleasant few blocks walk from their home.

I am sometimes envious of city folk with their walkable restaurants and shops. If I see someone walking up my road, I assume they have broken down or are on the lam.

In true urban fashion, we took a Chicago Transit Authority’s bus to Wrigley Field (I have always wanted to write Chicago Transit Authority in Backroads).

This day at Wrigley Field was the 40th anniversary of what is called “The Ryne Sandberg Game.” On June 23, 1984, the Chicago Cubs battled the St. Louis Cardinals in a Major League Baseball contest that saw Willie McGee hit for the cycle, but Ryne Sandberg hit two home runs—in the ninth and tenth innings—to propel the Cubs to a 12–11 victory. NBC play-by-play announcer Bob Costas, who called the game with Tony Kubek, is remembered for saying “Do you believe it?!” when Sandberg hit the second home run. This day Costas spoke as they unveiled a stunning statue in the superstar’s honor.

It was a great day to be at Wrigley… but a better day for the Mets – as our KOD Streak continued and, happily for us, the Cubbies fell to the Mets 5 to 2.

LFGM!

We said our goodbyes the next morning and shot north towards “Cream City,” a nickname for the town as Milwaukee is sprinkled with many old buildings built in the town using this light-colored brick.

This was a straight shot as we had given up on any really twisty roads going in our direction.

Milwaukee can bring up many memories – Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley… but every motorcyclist on the planet knows this town for Harley-Davidson, and we were going to head to their museum but had one quick stop to make before – The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame.

Yes, there is such a thing, and impressive it is with over 10,000 Bobbleheads of every taste, team,

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hero, villain, historic figure or mascot to be seen. Why do they have this?

Because they could, but we’ll let Dr. O’Life explain in more detail.

The Harley-Davidson Museum is extraordinary. Not only the history of the brand, but the sport and lifestyle as well. There was so much to see and history to be learned. Some we knew well - other facts were new to us. This museum is a “Must” when in this part of the nation - and they have a superb BBQ restaurant right on campus.

Shira had found a great inn, in the older part of town called the Kinn Bayview Guesthouse – named after Kinnickinic Avenue on which it is found. Try saying that. The word originates from Chippewa and Cree dialects of the Algonquian language, literally meaning “that which is mixed.” It refers to a smoking mixture of the inner bark of willows or dogwoods and indigenous tobacco. I think it is “The Test” that people from the area use to see if you are local, or even have a clue.

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The Kinn was a very nice place, with ultra-high ceilings, a wonderful common room, an excellent shower with a comfy bed. It’s also in a great part of town – with dozens of restaurants and shops – and just minutes from Harley-Davidson, and the Brewers game – our final game on this long midwest trek.

The stadium was an easy ride and had a motorcycle-only area, right near the front of the park. The stadium has a Little League Park as part of their complex, and like every park, the fans were a friendly bunch.

That is not to actually say that some parks are friendlier than others but… some fans seem more fanatical and pretentious than others.

Up until this game, we really felt like the Grim Reaper, but the Kiss of Death Curse was lifted when Brewer Jake Bauer hit a monster Grand Slam off Ranger Nathan Eovaldi in the 3rd that carried the Brewers to our first hometown win!

As if to celebrate this exorcism, Mother Nature lit up the Milwaukee skies with a serious lightning storm that evening.

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Homeward Bound!

It seemed like a long time since we had been able to ride real backroads, and not some city-choked highway going nowhere fast, so that morning after finding a bike cover that had been sent to OZ during the midnight tempest that rocked Milwaukee, we headed south around the Windy City and then hit Warp Drive east on I-80.

My plan was to get across the Allegheny River into Pennsylvania that evening – and then ride the Allegheny Forest roads the next day.

But those plans were dashed faster than a speeding bullet when I spotted a sign for the Hall of Heroes Superhero Museum, in Elkhart, Indiana. Oh, yes! We could have kept going, stuck with our plan – but I feel I have a responsibility to you guys…

And with great power, well – you know!

The Inner Geek that I struggle to suppress, like Banner to The Hulk, took control and we soon rolled up to the Hall of Heroes.

Shira was so excited.

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I would start to go on as I do – but this place, as “Amazing,” “Incredible,” and “Fantastic” as it is - will get some serious ink of its own down the road; but right now, we were and are Jersey bound.

We came up about 90 miles short of the river after the “super” hour or so at the Hall of Heroes, and I did not buy anything… (Shira did).

The Last Day – nothing ever goes to plan, and perfect days, with no issue, problem or concern are great – but it is when things go a bit off script that make the day a bit more memorable.

Shira had begun to have chain issues with her V-Strom and that day we made the call to adjust it as best we could and head straight home – keeping a steady, lightly on-the-gas pace.

Traffic could and was a problem, but we paced ourselves – took lunch at the Twilight Diner – a new favorite of ours right off I-80 in Loganton, Pennsylvania.

By evening time we drank up that wonderful 15 miles up County Road 521 to Backroads Central and rolled into the barn achy, hot, sweaty, but happy – as was Spenser T. Cat, who thought we had abandoned him weeks before.

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Final Thoughts Every year we try to tackle a few more Major League Ball Parks, trying to tag each and every one, and it might seem like a very non-motorcycle mission to be on – but it is a means to an end. With this trip in the books, we are down to our last five stadiums (until they start replacing them).

You see, in between each park, each city, and each team you will find a vast country full of interesting stops, great history, wonderful museums, and fascinating people and stories – and it is this that makes our nation such a great place to ride, explore and be part of; and there is no better way than on two wheels.

Everywhere we went folks went out of their way to chat with us, and we came to learn that many seemed to be on the same quest as we were. Baseball is a part of America… and that is apparent when you realize the final two words of our National Anthem are…Play Ball!

So put me in coach, I’m ready to play today…I can be centerfield. ,

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Last year some folks just down the road from us decided to create an event to be held at their farm, in Hampton Township, New Jersey. The Century Farm has long been a gathering place for the community decades ago, and a restaurant in a more recent past.

Still, we are talking many decades since revelry was happening here.

When Frank and Ann Russo bought the Century House Farm and proceeded to bring the old farmhouse back to life, the history of the property did not pass them by. Knowing their property’s history, they set about to create a summer event that would make people smile, and bring a sense of community to the locals of Hampton Township, and northwestern New Jersey.

Music seems to run in their veins and a love of cars keeps the tempo beating in their hearts, so the Russos decided to hold an event – open to all – with proceeds and donations going to benefit Hampton Township Volunteer Fire and EMT departments. One that would combine both those ingredients, cars and guitars together, and add a dash of New Jersey summertime, a heatlhy dose of people, couples, families, and friends all thrown into the concoction, all mixed with a few hundred cars and motorcycles and a steady stream of Rock & Roll Bands which cooks up a superb summer event.

On July 20 the Russos held Cars & Guitars II, now an annual event, and it was everything the premier event was, and much more.

A year had gone by since the first fête, and word had spread… and it seemed that everything would cooperate to make it that much more fun.

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Although officially opening at 10 am, we could see cars of all types and descriptions rolling down the hill past Backroads Central early that morning, and by 9 am the field was already filling up with coupes, convertibles, roadsters, classic, hot rods, muscle cars and motorcycles.

From well-maintained daily drives, to very rare and “one-off” machines.

There were a couple of cars that were older than the namesake Century Farm itself.

Somewhere around noon a Fender Stratocaster plugged in and a slick Jimi Hendrix-style Star Spangled Banner was played by Frank Malaro, and his

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BACKROADS • SEPTEMBER 2024

awesome rendition set the stage (literally) for all the bands and musicians that would follow.

All the while cars and people rolled in, and the big empty field that I see many times each day seemed to swell with a festive burst of music and horsepower!

We wanted to help in any way we could, show a little support as it were, so that day we drove our Subaru WRX STI down, and rode the GS, and parked them side-by-side. My thought to use the bike as a pony if we wanted to head back home for anything.

The WRX got some looks, mostly from younger Japanese turbo-lovin’ kids, with baseball caps on backwards, but we do think the R 1250 GS got more attention from the ‘On Any Sunday crowd’.

The bands were really very good, and all long-time musicians with a plethora of styles, and repertoires. The lineup included Bailey Brothers, Cast Iron Blues, Legends, Mike Lawlor Band, Hellhounds, Kikker, Rock n Roll Steve, Tre-

BACKROADS • SEPTEMBER 2024

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ble Maker and SB7. There was a lot of crossband playing this day as well, with guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, and singers from one band sitting in for a few extra ‘sets’ with other bands, and one band picking up some horns with two brass players that could make any song that much deeper.

At one point, this same band segued from The Doors to Steely Dan’s ‘Pretzel Logic’. At that moment Shira and I were spending a few minutes with Frank Russo, while I was munching on a fresh hot pretzel (thank you John) from one of the food vendors. Those first five keyboard notes fired up the ‘name that tune’ part of my brain and there was a certain magical logic in that moment right there. We had to tell the man who put this all together just how well he did, and to thank him and Anne for opening their home and property to so many strangers, many driving vehicles that might never make it through a close scrutiny from the State of New Jersey. We thought it takes a kind of faith to do something like this – and that faith certainly seemed rewarded.

We hung to the early evening, having some friends traveling through the region having dinner, and overnighting with us. From down below we could hear the bands that kept on rockin’ until a mid-evening squad of boomers and wet ended the day!

That’s summer in New Jersey…and so is Cars & Guitars…a tradition we hope to keep writing about for years.

Keep an eye on Backroads as we roll into 2025, and as soon as we have dates for Cars & Guitars III we will let you know. ,

BACKROADS • SEPTEMBER 2024

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EVENT RECAP

RAMAPO 500 • RETURN OF THE CLASSIC

On a warm, but not sweltering, weekend in July the Tri-State’s area classic road tour known as the Ramapo 500 took place.

This event, that had seen on hiatus over the last few years, was now in its 44th year and brought participants on a lengthy run from Congers, New York on the Hudson River to Campers Haven, a campground located outside Bath, New York. Although billed as a 500 – this year’s event had almost 50 bonus miles – as the route north and west was a full 300 clicks of the odometer.

Both days had a wonderful mix of secondary and tertiary roads that headed through three separate states – starting in New York,

winding through northwest New Jersey, before crossing into Pennsylvania at Dingmans Bridge and then meandering north and west and back into the Empire State south of the Finger Lakes.

Hard rains that romped across the region kept some at bay until the storms had passed, others braved the torrent and were rewarded to quickly clearing skies, and rising temperatures – but all rideable.

The campground was friendly and the summer residents did not seem all that put out with the army of riders that rolled in that afternoon and took over a small part of their weekend stronghold.

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The chicken dinner provided at this 500 was very good, as was the watermelon and cake for afterward.

There were awards to be handed out. Best Represented Club – The Sirens with 13 riders. Oldest Rider went to Robert LaMorte at 80 years young while Oldest 2-Up combined were Greg & Beth Anderson. Youngest Rider, at 27, was Collin Marzella. Al Canino rode all the way from Florida to partake and the Bucks County HOGS, as a club, traveled the furthest.

Some of us were just happy to be there.

As the sun began to drop to the west, and just about everybody had arrived, Claudia Parrington started to give away door prizes, which worked out well as it seemed almost everybody came away with something – maybe a gift certificate, a set of tools, or even a subscription to a cheesy motorcycle magazine.

Although this was a camping event, something we once treasured, it seemed that a lot of folks chose to motel it in the town of Bath, just a short ride away.

That being the case, we really never made it past the pavilion, but there were primitive camping and small cabins available as well on the grounds – as well as a swimming pool that was used by a few to rinse off the miles of sweat and dust of the day.

Sunday found a mixed route, much like the great ride on Saturday, but with the familiar “around 250 miles” in the mirrors when it ended at Rhodes Tavern Sunday afternoon.

All the riders who signed up got a great commemorative pin, and finishers patch as well. We have pins from decades of rides on a display in our office – it was nice to put a fresh one with all the other memories – and a nice and classic touch from Ramapo too.

Although this was a Ramapo Motorcycle Club event, and we love this club (one of the oldest in the USA) it was obvious that one gal, with the help of a few others, did all the heavy lifting and we’d like to thank Claudia Parrington and crew for a great weekend – and for bringing back this iconic two-day ride.

If rides like this, which made riding so much fun for decades, are to survive they need one thing more than anything else. They need us. With our Backroads Rallies and everything else – we see fewer and fewer old friends that were once a sure thing at riding events.

Yes, we know times change and priorities do as well – but there will be a time when you will wish you went, and will be angry with yourself for not.

Events like the Ramapo 500 make the riding season so much fun… we’d love to see more of you on road tours like this.

We hope the Ramapo 500 returns for #45! ,

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Washington D.C. There are a lot of secrets in and around this town. Secret Agencies, or at least agencies that would like to keep some secrets. The NSA, CIA, FBI… CONTROL! What was really great about CONTROL was that Agent Maxwell Smart always drove up to its VERY secret headquarters in a hot car - a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT PF Spider Cabriolet, a Tiger, or Karmann Ghia.

There is another secret headquarters of which we know… inside this confidential corner somewhere in the outskirts of D.C., lies the greatest private collection of one of the most important American icons on the planet…

The Hot Wheels Collection of Bruce Pascal.

BACKROADS • SEPTEMBER 2024

Like many guys (and some gals), my love of Hot Wheels cars began in the late ‘60s, when they were first introduced; but even before then I had a bunch of other tiny cars, many being brought back from summers in Scotland. Dinky and Matchbox Cars were already pointing me down the backroads that would dominate my life; but when Hot Wheels came out on May 18, 1968 with its first 16-car lineup, it literally was a game changer – like when Ken Block released the first Gymkhana video.

When my first Hot Wheels Camaro rolled down the orange track and rode around that first loop - everything changed!

Little toy cars went from calm and quiet to fast and furious!

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Much more than a toy, the Hot Wheels brand has since mushroomed into a booming franchise and multi-channel play experience. It has become a true lifestyle brand with segments in gaming, digital platforms, auto partnerships, licensed apparel, and merchandise.

Now in its 56th year, the Hot Wheels die-cast car is the #1 selling toy in the world, with 16.5 Hot Wheels sold every second. Every second!

We had heard about this collection a few months back, and when we rode up to Pascal’s hidden treasure, I was sure we were in the wrong place. This entire trip was shrouded in a secrecy of which the Chief, 99, and Larabee would have been proud. Shira had told me I was on Mystery Date (also a creation of the ‘60s), and the further we rode from home the more I was convinced she was gonna whack me. But then there was Bruce, cheerfully waving and graciously inviting us in.

Thankfully there were no phone booths to be seen.

The long building’s offices were full of Hot Wheels memorabilia… and right away I was struck by memories, hidden much like this collection, that came rushing back to the top of my conscious.

Hot Wheels memorabilia, point-of-sale stands, posters, and more importantly - the original art from which these posters and packaging were created - adorned the walls.

Bruce’s love of these cars, and the impact they have made on our Boomer generation, is very obvious. Having been bitten by the Hot Wheels bug when they first came out, he, along with his friends, saved their allowance to buy, and race, these delectable die-cast cars.

Like most kids, as time passes so do some passions, and his collection was stored away in a cigar box at his mother’s house, collecting dust for over 30 years, until the day this box resurfaced in 1999 and so did Bruce’s passion.

“That excited feeling I had as a boy was rekindled instantly,” said Pascal. “My friend offered to pay me $200 for the cigar box. I declined and held onto them, but it was his offer that made me start researching the value of Hot Wheels and pursuing collecting as an adult.”

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Bruce told us that he had a method of showing this collection - a mere 10,000 pieces of Hot Wheels memorabilia and artifacts. We were all in!

A little Hot Wheels trivia here: The fabled tale goes that in the late 1960s, upon first witnessing the original Hot Wheels prototype zoom across the floor of his office, Mattel co-founder Elliott Handler uncontrollably exclaimed, “Those are some hot wheels!” The rest, as they say, is history.

Following along with Bruce we tried our best to concentrate on the voluminous amounts of knowledge and the smaller snippets of Hot Wheel lore and mythos he was passing along.

I was captured by some of the original artwork by Otto Kuhnia, really large paintings, that were used in Hot Wheel packaging and cases. Images that brought back memories almost ancient to me now.

Every motorhead would want a few of these in their garage, for sure!

While lost in Kuhnia’s colors, brush strokes, and shapes I saw Bruce sliding open an art case drawer and lifting out some blueprints.

The ORIGINAL blueprints for the first Hot Wheels. Holy Moly!

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Is that the original 1968 Corvette…?

Legend has it that the new and VERY secret design sketches for Chevy’s third-generation Corvette were covertly ‘borrowed’ by a designer named Harry Bentley Bradley, and that the 1/64 Hot Wheels Corvette debuted months before Chevy rolled any full-sized models out of the plant in Kentucky.

General Motors was not happy. Bruce thinks that story is a bit more fable than fact – but the tale persists regardless.

We followed Bruce from the walled offices into the open warehouse where Hot Wheels magic is everywhere… and the multitude of displays show just that.

Hot Wheels were not just an American sensation – but a worldwide phenom as well, and seeing Hot Wheels in its Italian packaging ‘Brucia Pista’ (Track that Burns?), and German ‘Heisse Räder’ certainly brought a smile.

Along the wall were two real motorcycles that caught our eye – a Harley-Davidson V-Rod and a rare Ducati MH900E - an homage to Mike Hailwood’s 1978 Isle of Man TT -winning Ducati NCR 900. There was also a Maserati with a Maryland tag that simply said DOES 185.

But Big Boy Toys aside, it is the smaller Little Boy Toys that dominate the 4,000-square-foot warehouse. Lighted

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cabinets, one made from a heavy and very ornate bank vault door, line the wall with hundreds of different Hot Wheels from the many decades of Hot Wheel releases.

Did you know Hot Wheels had an entire motorcycle collection?

Even with so many amazing cars, and incredibly rare and fortuitous finds that Bruce has in his collection – some are more precious to him than others.

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He has the Hot Rod Model T that Hot Wheels based one of their designs on; which is so awesome but certainly not what Henry Ford was thinking. Towards the end he had us wait while he scooted to the back (probably had to take the telephone booth ride to his real inner sanctum), and came back with one of the rarest Hot Wheels that was ever made – the prototype Volkswagen Beach Bomb.

Estimated value? $150,000.

I was going to ask if I could hold it, but I hate disappointment.

It would be hard to put a price on Bruce Pascal’s Hot Wheel collection, and to

many, there is no real price. Hot Wheels are part of the American ethos. Our collective childhood memories – and like its sister Mattel Toy Barbie you cannot put a price on happy childhood memories.

Bruce will offer tours to riding groups, and special events and we know that his charitable work is as impressive as his Hot Wheels collection.

He’s a good man with an ass-kickin collection!

To reach Bruce Pascal you can email him at alpascal@aol.com. ,

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The Law Office of Paul Gargiulo, P.C. presents

Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully

A column dedicated to your riding survival that affect the body’s cooling mechanisms. If you are on meds you might When is hoT To hoT? The Difference BeTween heaTsTroke anD heaT exhausTion like to look into all this.

Heatstroke and heat exhaustion are both caused by the body overheating.

However, there are important distinctions between the two — distinctions that, when made, can help save lives.

Why an ideal temperature is ideal…, and why it matters to motorcyclists: We have said before that riders live in a Goldilocks Zone. When temperatures are between 40 and 90 degrees, we can all ride, more or less, fairly comfortably.

If we go to extremes on either side of the Goldilocks Zone things can get sketchy quickly.

But as we are just riding out of summer, let’s talk about “Too Hot” first.

The human body operates best when its internal temperature is between 97 and 99 degrees. Within this narrow range, processes from the cellular level to organ systems can function smoothly. Outside of the range, these processes can be disrupted, resulting in devastating effects like decreased blood flow and organ failure.

Because of these high stakes, the body employs certain cooling mechanisms to help regulate its internal temperature. For example, when the body becomes too hot, it may begin to sweat as a way to help the body cool off.

Responses like these sometimes aren’t enough to maintain the body’s ideal temperature, causing certain functions to begin to shut down. When the body overheats, these disruptions can lead to heat exhaustion and heatstroke. But what is the difference?

Heat Exhaustion: Heat exhaustion is “a condition whose symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse,” according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s caused by “exposure to high temperatures, particularly when combined with high humidity, and strenuous physical activity.”

There are several symptoms of possible heat exhaustion, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, fatigue, cold and clammy skin, and a weak, rapid pulse.

Treatments of heat exhaustion include finding ways to cool off, such as moving to a shady or air-conditioned location, drinking cool sports drinks or water, showering or soaking in cool water, and removing heavy and constricting clothes. If these treatments do not begin to lower the body’s temperature within an hour, medical attention must be called.

The people most at risk of experiencing heat exhaustion are children and the elderly, individuals who are obese, and individuals taking medications

People not accustomed to hot climates are also at risk, in addition to those exposed to both high temperatures and high levels of humidity.

If left untreated, heat exhaustion can escalate and lead to heatstroke.

Heatstroke is very, very bad.

Heatstroke: Unlike heat exhaustion, heatstroke is a life-threatening condition. It involves the body temperature rising up to about 103 degrees or higher, harming the central nervous system.

Doctors say heatstroke can be difficult to diagnose because it shares similar symptoms to heat exhaustion, such as dizziness, headaches, and nausea.

What sets heat stroke apart from heat exhaustion are symptoms such as hot or dry skin and a fast, strong pulse, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Doctors say that people who might have heatstroke should seek emergency medical care immediately. While waiting for medical help to arrive, the CDC recommends trying to lower the individual’s temperature by putting them in a cool bath, placing cool clothes on them, and moving them to a cooler location. Although the CDC also advises against giving a person suffering from heatstroke anything to drink, the Mayo Clinic recommends giving them cool water to rehydrate, but not very cold drinks, as they can cause muscle cramps.

After seeing how the CDC handled COVID and The Walking Dead – we will go with the Mayo Clinic.

Individuals most at risk of suffering from a heat stroke often include those who are also at risk of suffering from heat exhaustion: children and the elderly, obese people, and riders who insist on pushing on when it is so obvious they should not.

We might not want to hear this, but we are our own worst enemy with this.

As riders, we need to be honest with ourselves. We surely all are when we are talking about friends and loved ones, right?

“Do As I Say, Not As I Do” is pure bullshit – and we need to be very aware of temperature conditions when we head out for a ride. Stay cool, kids! ,